Friday, October 22, 2010

It occurs to me at this late date that I have yet to share with you my picks for this year's top Halloween music downloads. Yes, yes – shame on me!

So now, my head hung low with shame and degradation, please allow me to remedy this most horrendous oversight.

First up this year are a couple of mash-up projects – both of which I featured on my most recent podcast. The annual Monster Mash-Up collection is back this year with a pair of offerings. Disc one, Pumpkin on Your Stereo features tracks form Frog The Dawg, Thriftshop XL and Toby Gore, while the second volume, subtitled Phantom of the Mashupera, boasts some amazing cuts from El Creepo as well as series regulars Voicedude and Cheekyboy.

Slightly less thematic but certainly just as enjoyable is DJ TOPCAT's Metal from the Grave, an EP that mashes horrorcore pioneers Gravediggaz's rhymes with instrumentals cribbed straight from metal icons Metallica. Both projects are freely available and I encourage you to cop 'em immediately.

Sticks Downey have also gotten in on the regular Halloween release train, this year offering up a tribute to the titular Cannibalistic Human Underground Dwellers of 1984's "C.H.U.D." Familiarity with this cult classic is purely optional, as Wockenfuss does a good job of summarizing the plot in-verse.

As always, our friends at the FuMP have also stepped up to bring music to the season of fright. A pair of notable examples include Dino-Mike's Owl City parody "Halloween Night" and Steve Goodie's kid-friendly "Halloween."

My personal favorite, though, is Insane Ian's brand new single "We're All Gonna Die" featuring Voice of Kiki, Devo Spice and Schaffer the Darklord. It explores pretty much every horror movie trope imaginable, so definitely give it a listen.

Lastly I gotta give it up for a wonderfully nostalgic new song from my pal John Anealio. His "A Stormtrooper for Halloween" is the mostly-true tale of 5-year-old John's own Halloween costume, and it's available as a name-your-price single from Bandcamp. The download includes both the original cut and an alternate acoustic version, and there's no minimum price.

With all that said, now I must know what you folks are listening to this Halloween. So tell me, dread diviners of the sinister tuneage, what are your seasonal picks?